When it Rains
by MissWonka
Summary: Willy struggles to come to terms with his difficult childhood. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1: Willy's Nightmare

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

**A/n:** This is my first fanfic, so please be kind when reviewing! Flames will be thrown in the Chocolate River! Also, I apologize in advance if Willy seems OOC. I'm trying my best to keep him in character, but that guy's personality is extremly difficult to write! Well, that's it. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: Willy's Nightmare**

_The final bell had just rung, and Willy Wonka and his classmates were getting ready to go home. Willy hoped that the bus would hurry up and come, before… "Hey, look! It's Weirdo Wonka!" teased one of his classmates. "You mean Wonky Willy!" teased another. Too late. Every day, the other kids teased and made fun of poor Willy. They seemed to love tormenting him about his huge, ridiculous looking braces and headgear. The fact that he was a little on the eccentric side didn't exactly help, either. "Hey, metal head, how many radio stations do you get with that thing?" yet another one of Willy's classmates asked. For about the millionth time, Willy wished that his father hadn't insisted on putting that…that…monstrosity on his mouth and face. "Want some chocolate, tinsel face?" asked another of Willy's classmates, holding out a chocolate bar. "Sure!" replied Willy. The kid pulled the chocolate bar away from him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. You can't have any candy, because daddy won't let you!" the teaser said in a singsong voice. Willy could feel tears welling up in his eyes, and quickly turned away before the other kids had a chance to notice and call him a crybaby. Luckily, the bus pulled up at that exact moment. Gratefully, Willy hopped on. _

_Soon, Willy was home. After checking to make sure his father was busy seeing a patient, Willy grabbed a box of chocolates and a small notebook (both of which he kept hidden from his father) and went outside. He opened the box of chocolates, selected one, and began to eat. As he ate it, he took notes. He ate another candy, and another, and another…"Willy Wonka!" a voice bellowed behind him. Willy jumped about a foot into the air. "D-d-dad?" he stammered. "Have you been eating candy again?" Wilbur asked sternly. Then, he spotted Willy's notebook. "And what's this?" he asked, picking it up. He flipped through it, and (if this was even possible) began looking even angrier than before. "You know you're not supposed to eat candy!" Wilbur shouted at his son. Willy cringed. "But, dad…" he protested. "No buts, Willy! All candy will ever do is rot your teeth! Besides which, it's just a silly waste of time!" Wilbur sternly told his son. "I can't help it, dad! I love candy!" Willy protested. This time, Wilbur didn't speak. Instead, he raised his hand. Willy squeezed his eyes shut, but that didn't stop him from feeling the painful sting of the slap on his face. For the second time that day, tears welled up in Willy Wonka's eyes._

"No! Dad, don't!" Willy cried. At that moment, the Chocolatier's eyes popped open, and he woke up in a cold sweat. He had been having another flashback nightmare. Unfortunately, these nightmares were not an uncommon occurrence. Willy sighed. He knew there was no way he was falling asleep again any time soon. "I guess I might as well work on some candy ideas," he muttered to himself as he got out of bed. Then, he put on his slippers and walked down the hall to his study.

"Charlie! Wake up, sleepyhead! Mr. Wonka will be here soon!" It was the next morning, and Mrs. Bucket was trying to wake up her son. A few minutes later, Charlie came downstairs. "Don't worry, Mom, I wasn't going to oversleep!" he assured his mother. Mrs. Bucket just smiled. "So, Mom, what's for breakfast?" Charlie asked. "I'm making a special treat, chocolate chip pancakes," said Mrs. Bucket. "Mr. Wonka'll love those!" Charlie said happily. The Buckets always invited Willy to join them for breakfast; most of the time, he accepted the offer. Mrs. Bucket laughed. "I'm sure he will," she said as she tousled her son's hair. Just then, Grandpa George mumbled something about, "crazy candy man!" "Now pops!" warned Mr. Bucket. "Speaking of Mr. Wonka, where is he?" Grandpa Joe wondered aloud. Charlie checked the clock. It was a quarter after eight. Willy usually arrived at the Bucket cottage at 8'oclock sharp, but Charlie wasn't too worried. He figured that Willy had probably been delayed somewhere. Maybe he had suddenly had a breakthrough on a new candy idea. Or, maybe one of the Oompa Loompas needed to talk to him about something. Whatever the reason was, Charlie was sure Willy would be knocking on the door any second. "He's probably just running a little late," Charlie assured his family. "But Mr. Wonka is never late!" replied Grandpa Joe. "Relax! An Oompa Loompa probably needed to ask him something," said Charlie. By 9'oclock, however, Willy still hadn't arrived. "If Willy doesn't get here soon, his breakfast is going to get cold," said Mrs. Bucket. Even Charlie was a little worried now. "I'll go find him," he said.

Charlie opened the door to his cottage and stepped out into the Chocolate Room. Then, he opened his mouth and let out the weird, high-pitched sound that Willy used to call the Oompa Loompas. Almost immediately, an Oompa Loompa appeared at Charlie's side. "Hello. I was wondering if you could tell me where Mr. Wonka is," said Charlie. The Oompa Loompa made motions indicating that Willy was still in his private quarters. "Thank you," Charlie told the Oompa Loompa. The Oompa Loompa crossed his arms and bowed, and Charlie did the same. As the Oompa Loompa ran off, Charlie headed for the Great Glass Elevator. Ordinarily, of course, he made a point of staying out of Willy's private quarters (in fact, he made it a rule for himself). However, something told him that he needed to break his own rule. By jumping up, Charlie could just barely reach the elevator button marked: Residence. The elevator zoomed off. Several minutes later, it came to a stop.

Nervously, Charlie stepped out of the elevator. He found himself in what he assumed had to be Willy's living room. It was as wacky and unique as the Chocolatier himself. Charlie, however, didn't spend a lot of time looking around. He knew he had to focus on finding Willy. He looked around and found a door that was slightly ajar. Cautiously, he peeked in.

The sight that met Charlie's eyes was so funny; he had to put a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing. Willy Wonka was sitting at his desk, wearing his pajamas. He was slumped over, his head on the desktop. His mouth was open and he was snoring loudly. "Mr. Wonka?" Charlie whispered timidly. Willy, however, didn't stir. "Mr. Wonka!" Charlie said, a little louder this time. Willy didn't even flinch. "MR. WONKA!" Charlie was practically yelling by now. Surprisingly, Willy kept right on snoring (obviously, he was a very heavy sleeper!). Charlie sighed. He knew that Willy hated physical contact, but he didn't really have much of a choice. "I didn't want to have to do this…," he said as he walked over to the sleeping Chocolatier. Charlie put his hands on Willy's shoulders and began to gently shake him. "Mr. Wonka!" he said loudly.

Willy awoke with a start, nearly falling off his chair. Looking embarrassed, he plastered on a fake smile and said, "Good morning, star shine! The Earth says hello!" Charlie giggled, making Willy turn an even brighter shade of red. Guiltily, Charlie clapped his hand over his mouth. "Sorry, Mr. Wonka," he apologized. "So, uh, what are you doing here, Charlie?" Willy asked. "You overslept, Mr. Wonka," Charlie told him. "Oversleep, me? Never!" said Willy, giggling a bit. "Well, you did today," said Charlie matter-of-factly. "Oh. Well, then, let's boogie!" said Willy, who seemed to have completely forgotten what he was wearing. "Uh, Mr. Wonka…" Charlie began. "What?" Willy asked innocently. Charlie pictured Willy parading around the factory in his pajamas, and could barely keep from laughing. Since he didn't want to hurt Willy's feelings, however, he restrained himself. "I think you might want to put some clothes on first," Charlie advised his mentor. Willy looked down at his pajamas. "Oh, yeah!" he said. Charlie waited near the glass elevator while Willy went to his room and changed. A few minutes later, they were both in the elevator, heading toward the Chocolate Room.

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**Chapter 2 preview: **Willy has breakfast with Charlie and the rest of the Buckets and some interesting things happen. 


	2. Chapter 2: Breakfast at the Buckets'

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

**A/n:** A BIG thank you to my two reviewers for the last chapter! I really apreciate it! Once again, I hope Willy isn't too OOC.

Please review! As usual, flames will be thrown in the Chocolate River!

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**Chapter 2: Breakfast at the Buckets'**

The elevator didn't take very long to reach its destination. Charlie and Willy stepped out into the Chocolate Room. It didn't take long for Charlie to notice that his mentor was looking very nervous. "Mr. Wonka, are you all right?" Charlie asked. He wasn't too surprised when Willy didn't answer. Right then, the Chocolatier appeared to be fascinated with his purple gloves. Charlie, however, knew better. "Mr. Wonka, what's going on?" he asked. Willy nervously fiddled with his cane. Charlie gave him a Look. Willy sighed. "I just don't see why we need to talk to your P-p-p-p…to your p-," he stammered. "Parents?" Charlie offered. "Yeah, them," agreed Willy. "Mr. Wonka, we need to tell them I found you. Besides, you know it's mom's rule that we have to check in before starting work for the day," said Charlie. "Oh, all right!" said Willy, sounding an awful lot like a whiney kid. Charlie had to stifle a giggle. By this time, the two had reached the Bucket house.

Before Charlie could stop him, Willy grabbed the door and yanked it open. "Willy!" Mrs. Bucket exclaimed, more than an edge of annoyance in her voice. "How many times do we have to tell you to knock first?" Mr. Bucket scolded. "Sorry," Willy said sheepishly. He took off his top hat and hung it on the coat tree near the door. Then, he rested his cane in the corner. Obviously, Mrs. Bucket didn't need to ask him if he was staying for breakfast! "Okay, everyone, breakfast is served! Come and get it!" Mrs. Bucket announced. Mr. Bucket, Charlie, and Grandpa Joe helped Grandpa George, Grandma Georgina, and Grandma Josephine to the table.

Once Mr. Bucket, Charlie, Grandpa Joe, and Willy were all seated (and Mrs. Bucket had told Willy to please take his elbows off the table), it was time to dish up. "Who wants chocolate chip pancakes?" asked Mrs. Bucket. At the mention of the words "chocolate chip pancakes", Willy began bouncing up and down in his chair like an excited little kid at Christmastime. "I'll have some!" he exclaimed. Then, not surprisingly, he tried to snatch the pancake plate right out of Mrs. Bucket's hands! "Willy, dear, you need to wait your turn," she reprimanded him gently. Willy continued bouncing in his chair while the plate was passed around the table. By the time the plate finally reached Willy, he was practically drooling! The eager Chocolatier took about five pancakes off the plate. "Uh, Willy, don't forget to save some for the rest of us!" Mrs. Bucket chided him. Willy blushed. Charlie, the only person who hadn't yet been served, spoke up. "It's all right, Mom. I only need the two that are left," he said. "Even so, we must remember our manners," said Mrs. Bucket, giving Willy a Look. "Sorry, Mrs. Bucket," Willy said, giggling nervously.

"So, Willy, why were you so late this morning?" asked Mr. Bucket. Charlie almost burst out laughing. "Believe it or not, he over-OW!" he exclaimed. Willy had kicked him under the table. "I…I mean he was over in, uh, the Inventing Room. One of the Oompa Loompas needed his help," he said quickly. "Oh, I see," said Mr. Bucket. Willy gave Charlie a grateful smile. "Be that as it may, we can't have you skipping breakfast, Willy! After all, it's the most important meal of the day!" Mrs. Bucket said. Charlie couldn't help but giggle a little. His mother had told him that exact same thing more times than he could count! Mr. Bucket, however, did not look pleased. "Dear, why do you always treat Willy like that?" Mr. Bucket asked. "Treat him like what?" Mrs. Bucket asked, sounding confused. "You act like you're his mother!" exclaimed Mr. Bucket. At the mention of the word "mother", Willy jumped up from his chair. "Mr. Wonka, what are you doing?" Charlie asked. "I, uh, I have to go now, 'kay?" Willy responded. Was it just Charlie's imagination, or did his mentor sound like he was about to cry? Willy grabbed his cane and hat and headed out the door. Just before the door closed, Charlie was positive he saw tears in Willy's eyes.

Charlie suddenly felt very angry with his father. "Dad, why did you have to go and hurt Mr. Wonka?" he asked. "How was I supposed to know the guy would get upset over a word like 'mother'?" Mr. Bucket answered. Mrs. Bucket sighed. She understood her husband's frustration, of course. However, she wished that he had waited until Willy was out of earshot before bringing it up. Finally, she said, "Dear, you know Willy is a very sensitive man."

Suddenly, Charlie remembered something that made him want to cry. "You know, Mr. Wonka has never mentioned his mom, and I know for a fact that his dad lives alone. That makes me think that maybe something, you know…" he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. Mrs. Bucket looked sad. "You're probably right, Charlie," she said. "No wonder he was so upset!" said Grandpa Joe. "The poor dear," murmured Mrs. Bucket. "You're doing it again!" Mr. Bucket exclaimed, sounding exasperated. Mrs. Bucket gave him a look that clearly said, "We'll talk about this later". "Mom, I think I better go and try to talk to Mr. Wonka," said Charlie. Mrs. Bucket wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want to hurt Charlie's feelings, but she had a feeling Willy might feel better discussing something like this with another adult, rather than a kid like Charlie. On the other hand, she had no idea where Willy might be, and she certainly did not want to get lost in the factory! "That's a good idea, Charlie, but I think I better come with you," she finally said. "Okay," Charlie agreed.

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**A/n: **Since this chapter is so short, I decided to go ahead and upload chapter 3 as well! Enjoy! 


	3. Chapter 3: Down and Out

**Disclaimer:** I do not own...you know the drill!

**A/n:** I'm afraid Willy is a bit OOC in this chapter. I promise to try my best not to let him get TOO OOC, however!

As usual please review! Oh, and flames will be thrown...I think you know the rest:-)

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**Chapter 3: Down and Out**

"Follow me!" Charlie said as he led his mother out the door and into the Chocolate Room. Mrs. Bucket obeyed, and, before long, they had reached the glass elevator. Once they had gotten into it, Charlie pointed to the button for Willy's private quarters. "Mom, will you please press that button?" he asked. "Of course, Charlie!" said Mrs. Bucket as she pressed the button. The elevator immediately began moving sideways. Mrs. Bucket had to stop herself from crashing into one of the sides of it. "Charlie, what is this crazy thing?" she asked (up until that moment, she had never been in it). Charlie giggled. "Don't worry, Mom, it's completely safe!" he assured his mother. Then, he went on to explain about the glass elevator. Finally, the elevator arrived at Willy's private quarters. "We're here!" said Charlie. "Thank goodness!" exclaimed Mrs. Bucket, who was looking slightly green. The doors opened, and Charlie and Mrs. Bucket stepped into Willy's living room. To their great surprise, they weren't alone. An Oompa Loompa was standing in the middle of the room! When he saw Charlie and Mrs. Bucket, he ran over to them and began making signs and gestures. Mrs. Bucket had no idea what the little man was saying. Charlie, however, was quite fluent in Oompa Loompish. "Mr. Wonka is in his bedroom. Apparently, he has a bit of a headache. He also seems very upset. The Oompa Loompa insisted on staying here in case Mr. Wonka needs anything," he translated. Mrs. Bucket wasn't too surprised. After all, Willy was upset, and stress is a great trigger for headaches. "Poor guy! We ought to give him some Tylenol or something," she said.

The Oompa Loompa made some more gestures. "Mr. Wonka refuses to take anything for his headache. He hates taking medicine and tries to avoid it at all costs," Charlie translated for his mother. Mrs. Bucket shook her head. Honestly, Willy acted more childish than Charlie did sometimes! She sighed. Clearly, she was going to have to treat Willy the same way she had treated Charlie when he was little and refused to take medicine. "Is it okay to go in?" Charlie asked the Oompa Loompa while pointing at the closed bedroom door. The Oompa Loompa nodded. "Okay, thanks! We'll let you know if we need you," Charlie said. The Oompa Loompa nodded again. Charlie slowly opened the door, and he and his mother entered the room.

Mrs. Bucket had to stifle a giggle as she looked around the room. The walls were bright purple. The hardwood floor was covered by a large, multi-colored area rug. You'd think that such a rug would clash horribly with the walls. However, the effect was quite the opposite. The rug and the walls somehow managed to look great together! In the middle of the rug was a large embroidered golden W. In the center of the room was a large four-poster bed. The bedposts, Mrs. Bucket noted, looked an awful lot like Willy's cane! A large W was carved in the headboard. Mrs. Bucket smiled. There was no question whose room this was! Charlie waved his hand in front of his mother's face. "Mom, are you there?" he inquired. Mrs. Bucket laughed. "Did you think I was having a flashback?" she asked. Charlie grinned. "You never know! I think they might be contagious!" he said (naturally, he was thinking of Willy's tendency for flashbacks). "Well, don't worry. I wasn't having a flashback. It's just that this room looks sort of, well…" Mrs. Bucket began. "Wonky?" Charlie suggested. "I guess you could say that!" said Mrs. Bucket. Then, she and Charlie both burst out laughing. "Very funny!" grumbled an all-too familiar voice. That's when Charlie and his mother realized they had forgotten that they weren't alone.

Charlie and Mrs. Bucket quickly went over to Willy, who was lying on the bed. Mrs. Bucket was alarmed to discover that the Chocolatier looked even more pale than usual. Automatically, she reached out and put her hand on Willy's forehead. Willy made a face, obviously not happy about having been touched. "My goodness, Willy, you're burning up!" exclaimed Mrs. Bucket, a look of concern on her face. "Charlie, please ask the Oompa Loompa to get a thermometer," she told her son. Charlie quickly obeyed. A few minutes later he reappeared, a thermometer in his hands. "Thank you!" he called over his shoulder to the Oompa Loompa. Then, he handed the thermometer to his mother. "Okay, open up!" Mrs. Bucket told Willy. In response, Willy firmly clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. "Come on, this will only take a minute!" Mrs. Bucket insisted. Willy, however, still refused to open his mouth. Mrs. Bucket sighed. Now what was she supposed to do? She didn't want to have to resort to forcing Willy's mouth open, but she was running out of other options. "Hey, Mr. Wonka, look! I think I see a whangdoodle!" Charlie exclaimed suddenly, pointing to the window.

A panicked look came over Willy's face, and he glanced over at the window. In the process, his mouth opened slightly. Mrs. Bucket saw her chance and slipped the thermometer in. "Mmmph!" Willy tried to complain (not an easy task with the thermometer in his mouth!), not at all happy that he'd been tricked. About a minute later, the thermometer beeped. Looking extremely relived, Willy opened his mouth. Mrs. Bucket gently removed the thermometer. She looked at the number on the tiny screen: 102. "Well, you definitely have a fever," she told Willy. Before Willy could reply, Charlie spoke up. "Mom, I have something I need to tell you," he said. "What is it, Charlie?" asked Mrs. Bucket. "Well, Mr. Wonka just hasn't been himself lately. He seems to be tired most of the time, and recently, I've had to correct his mistakes, instead of the other way around. I'm starting to get a little worried," said Charlie.

Hearing this, Mrs. Bucket felt concerned. "You mean, it's like, mentally, he's not there?" she asked. "Exactly!" replied Charlie. "It sounds to me like he's been working too hard," said Mrs. Bucket. Just then, the Oompa Loompa came into the room and began gesturing. "The Oompa Loompas have tried to tell him that, but he just won't listen," Charlie translated. Willy stuck his tongue out at the Oompa Loompa. "Willy Wonka, you know better than that!" Mrs. Bucket scolded. Willy blushed and let out a nervous giggle. Suddenly, the Chocolatier's face took on a greenish tint and he started moaning. Then, suddenly, he jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. A few seconds later, Charlie and Mrs. Bucket heard, well; let's just say it wasn't a very pleasant sound. Charlie shuddered. "Poor Mr. Wonka!" he exclaimed. "I know. We have to make sure that he stays in bed and rests for a few days. He also needs to take some medicine, whether he likes it or not," said Mrs. Bucket. At that moment, Willy emerged from the bathroom. He immediately peeled off his purple latex gloves and threw them in the trash. Then, he put on a new pair and climbed back into bed. "Charlie, could I speak to you out in the hallway for a few minutes?" Mrs. Bucket asked. Charlie nodded. Mrs. Bucket turned to Willy. "We'll be back in a minute or two," she told him. "'Kay," Willy responded.

Charlie followed his mother into the hallway. "I know the Oompa Loompas are perfectly capable of looking after Willy. However, they seem to be having some difficulty getting him to cooperate with them," she said. Charlie nodded. "Therefore, I was thinking that I should stay here and take care of Willy myself," said Mrs. Bucket. "I agree. If there's anyone who can get Mr. Wonka to listen, it's you," said Charlie. "I suppose we better go explain things to the rest of the family," said Mrs. Bucket. So, Charlie told the Oompa Loompa what was going on and they stepped into the glass elevator.

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**Chapter 4 preview: **Charlie and Mrs. Bucket face the challanges of taking care of a certain sick Chocolatier, Mr. Bucket has some jealousy issues, and Willy has a flashback. 


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